The answer is yes. ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ ͏ ‌     ­ This newsletter is about drawing. It goes out every Friday. Want to draw? Then check out my free workbook!

#184 - When It Comes To Making Art, Which Is More Important, Craft, Or Self-Expression?

The answer is yes.
 
a 3D model that can be used for drawing practice reference Practice Drawing This 3D Model.

 
 
Initial Letter Craft is about being able to express yourself accurately, and self-expression is about having something to say, and both are important.

Self-expression without craft leads to works that are not easy to understand.

Just focusing on craft leads to pieces that have nothing to say.

You need both.

Writers are careful about their choice of words. Their stories convey life lessons and entertainment.

Musicians have honed their skills for years. They are great musicians when they can evoke emotions.

Moviemakers use an unimaginable amount of storytelling devices to help support the telling of the story. Production design, cinematography, acting, lighting, costume design, everything is designed with craft to express the story well. And then they have something to say.

Practice fundamentals, but also go out in the world and experience life. Have something to say.

 

This Week

And with that, let's move on to focusing on some tools that sharpen our craft!

I spent some time rotating forms in my sketchbook and on the website.

The twisted box model was modified.

twisted boxes

I didn't like it; it wasn’t twisted enough, so you could not see both sides well. Now, the twist eases in and out, slowly accelerating to a turn. It looks much better and can be an excellent start for an imagined pose, a twisted torso. (Hint!)

Remember to click on the dice icon! It randomizes the model by changing its length and twist. I wonder if that dice icon is clear enough. No other place I know of has these parametrized, randomized 3D models for drawing reference.

I randomized the stairs model some more.

stairs

The steps were initially fixed-size but are now variable-sized. Because each step doesn't have to be precisely the same, these stairs are easier to draw! (Hint!)

And a new model. This random curve is traced around a line to get a cylindrically symmetric organic form.

stairs

Art Puzzles

The 3D viewer was improved. Most notable is the addition of the “puzzle” button, which removes most construction lines so that you can figure it out from the information on the screen as an exercise. Just tap on the puzzle icon again to see a solution!

example art puzzle

example art puzzle

Click on the images to try it out with these specific models. (Hint!)

Happy drawing!

 
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